Assessing Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections through Clinic-Based Survey and Household Survey in Darbhanga Bihar, India

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) continue to pose a significant public health concern in Bihar, India, where flooding, poverty, and inadequate sanitation facilitate endemic transmission. Few studies have concurrently evaluated clinical and community groups to ascertain the comprehensive burden. A dual-arm cross-sectional investigation was carried out in the Darbhanga district. The clinical survey investigated 2,100 stool samples from people who went to a diagnostic lab, and the community survey investigated 615 samples from randomly chosen rural and urban families from January to December 2022. Kato-Katz processed all the samples, and standardised questionnaires were used to look at demographic, socioeconomic, and hygienic factors. Chi-square and odds ratios (OR) were used to examine statistical connections. In the clinical arm, the prevalence of STH surpassed 80%, with infection rates inversely linked with educational attainment (χ² = 66.4, p < 0.00001). There was a substantial relationship between hookworm and anaemia (OR = 3.95, 95% CI: 1.90–8.18). The effect of education and income on STH prevalence was statistically significant. In the community arm, the total prevalence was 55.1%, with roundworm (45.4%) being the most frequent, followed by hookworm (31.0%) and whipworm (23.6%). There were no major changes based on age or sex. Rural residents exhibited a considerably higher prevalence compared to their urban counterparts (61.1% vs. 49.4%; χ² = 8.62, p = 0.0033). Income was substantially linked to infection: low-income households were more vulnerable to STH infection compared to high-income groups. STH infection continues to be hyperendemic in Darbhanga, with clinical data underscoring its high incidence and anaemia load, and community data revealing differences in rural and socioeconomic contexts. We need integrated control efforts right away that include deworming, sanitation, and reducing poverty.